132 BROADLAND SPORT 



they will flight, although it be night time, to the goose-grass 

 flats. On the other hand, if it be one-quarter ebb, they will 

 mostly leave their fresh- water haunts for that of the salt, 

 which they seem to prefer. Mallard, as can be observed any- 

 where, show a greater preference to fresh-water food than 

 widgeon, which is indicated by the fact that in some parts of 

 Scotland the former are called " moss ducks." Again, mallard, 

 when they do frequent saltings, are wont to feed much closer 

 inshore, amongst the more luxurious grasses, than widgeon, 

 whose habits have been previously referred to in the chapter 

 on shore shooting, which also applies here. Therefore, much 

 greater knowledge of the ground and judgment in selection of 

 a position is necessary for flighting by tidal and salt waters 

 than for inland flighting, where there are not dual feeding 

 grounds to deal with. Taking it all round, the difficulties of 

 the former are so great as to astound those who have not 

 thoroughly attempted to master them. 



Flighting in the neighbourhood of estuaries is much 

 more precarious than flighting inland (except when frosty 

 weather prevails), that is to say speaking strictly and dis- 

 criminating between the many who take rough shooting in 

 a rough manner to those of the few who practise it with deep 

 thought and judgment, coupled with skill and perseverance. 



Yet the latter division of flighting does not show so much 

 sport as the former, but chacun d son gotit. However, 

 where punt gunning is pursued shore flighting cannot be 

 conducted without enormous injury to the gunner; even on 

 estuaries where there is no punting it is a difficult sport, unless 

 there are certain spots in favourable positions where hides 

 can be arranged, or one can mark the line of flight taken by 

 the birds in their passage to and from their salt and fresh 

 water feeding grounds, when they can be successfully inter- 

 cepted according to the particular state of tide, wind and 

 weather. 



In some districts the birds are wont to lead along the sea- 

 shore, or over certain promontories, but in others their range 

 is so wide that it is almost impossible to do much from a 



